Βαβαί

Notes

1. = Synagoge beta1; Photius, Lexicon beta3, Hesychius beta102. Adler also cites Lexicon Ambrosianum 239 as a comparandum.
   For this exclamation of astonishment or anger (the sort of word that grammarians refer to with the term sxetliastiko/n) see also beta 6; epsilon 2807 with notes 12 and 18 on Aristophanes, Acharnians 64 and Peace 248. For other uses of the term cf. mu 1419, tau 598, and, for the similar exclamation papai=, pi 259. See Labiano Ilundain 2000 (below): 105-119.
   In classical Greek it is generally used for comic or ironic effect, expressing amazement at, for instance, the luxury of Persian dress or at the odor of Megarian garlic. In late/Byzantine Greek, however, it is employed copiously to express genuine amazement or indignation. LSJ entry at web address 1.